St. Johns County Christian Educators celebrated the 25th annual, the silver anniversary of Honor the Graduate awards. Honor the Grads is a special observance for seniors, selected by their peers. The grads were honored by parents, family, youth groups and community members because they were chosen as an excellent example of integrity to others. Students in the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) or other Christian student groups in our local high schools nominate two seniors who walked his/her walk, talked his/her talk and generally displaying a Christ-like lifestyle throughout high school. Six high schools were represented: Bartram Trail High School Diana Mankin Caden Vann Creekside High School Paulina Clark Sam Unkefer Allen D. Nease High School Aliya Baghalan Jacob Lindsay (unable to attend) Pedro Menendez High School Zealy Cintron Ponte Verde High School Taylor Dean Alexander Gunning Tocoi Creek High School Hayden Owen Grace Smith Favorite verses:
Some of the comments shared by the graduates this year include:
Multiple prayers were said over the graduates for their boldness, faithfulness, influence for Jesus on others and over all well-being. Congratulations grads for receiving this most prestigious award.
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Friday - Day 5 This is the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week, but certainly not the last time we want to thank teachers for all they do. May God continue to bless you throughout your career with a focus of excellence. We count it a joy to be able to remind teachers and the ones who love them to celebrate this great profession especially this year. Each day this week, we have posted a different blessing each day that includes:
Encourage Thank you teachers for a job well done. Thank you teachers for teaching online when you didn't even feel like getting out of bed. Thank you teachers for praising students and encouraging them to go beyond just ok. Thank you teachers for making the day-to-day doldrum of routine lessons more interesting. Thank you teachers for loving students even when you didn't feel like it. Thank you teachers for consistency, confidence, comfort and counseling. Thank you teachers for safety, security and stability. Thank you teachers for your time and trusting your students. You are loved. Today's video is from our Executive Director, David Schmus. Equip Don't you just love the Word of God? It's truly a gift of instruction, correction, encouragement and much more. I've read many books in my life, but the Bible is the only book that reads me! Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Empower
Dear Lord, Thank You for creating us to be teachers. You are the Potter and we are the clay. Mold us into teachers of vision who see a glimpse of what You intend us to be each day. Help us, Lord to be teachers on a mission to be like You in the digital classrooms displaying love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control and peace. Obviously we can not do it alone. Thank You for being in our virtual classrooms even when we forget. Your mercy and grace fill us with the inspiration to flourish in this difficult position. Lord, we are grateful to You for giving us this high calling of teacher. Blessed be Your Name. Amen. As always, I am prayerfully yours, K Karen C. Seddon CEAI - Christian Educators Assoc. Int. State Director for Florida [email protected] 407.892.5651 www.ceai.org Around the Word in 180 Days 1:16 PM prayer movement Thursday - Day 4 As Teacher Appreciation draws to the end of the week, be blessed and be a blessing. We count it a joy to be able to remind teachers and the ones who love them to celebrate this great profession. Each day this week, we will post a blessing a day the includes:
Encourage Have you looked at the creative side of those around you? Have you encouraged any of your colleagues or students to invest more time in their creative abilities? It's easy to say, "I'm not creative," but that's just not true. Everyone of God's children were born to be creative. It's in our DNA. We encourage you to be mindful of creativity today. Look for creative ideas and nudge them to take it to a higher level. Praise the students for a job well done on their virtual assignments and display as much of their creative work as possible online. If I Knew Then: A Letter to Me on My First Day Teaching Equip Today is a day for encouragement all throughout God's word. What a blessing to be a blessing. Pass it on. 1st Thess. 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. Empower
Dear Father, Lord, You are beautiful and more creative than we can wrap our minds around. Thank You for giving us creative abilities. We are Your children and so are all the students and staff at our school. Lord, help us to tap into our creative abilities to honor You. Show us how to give You the glory and credit for all our creative projects, ideas, and creations. Lord, we want to honor You, the greatest of all Teachers. Thank You for teaching us through Your Word and Your Ways. We love You more each day. Amen. As always, I am prayerfully yours, K Karen C. Seddon CEAI - Christian Educators Assoc. Int. State Director for Florida [email protected] 407.892.5651 www.ceai.org Around the Word in 180 Days 1:16 PM prayer movement Wednesday - Day 3 In the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week, please know that you are loved all year long. We count it a gift to be able to remind teachers and the ones who love them to celebrate this great profession. Each day this week, we will post a blessing day the includes:
Encourage You are a blessing to so many children of all ages, all races, all beliefs, all shapes and sizes. It's incredible how many lives we really touch. If you actually try to count the children whose lives have been impacted by you by the end of your teaching career, it's impossible. It's so touching when a previous student meets you at a store or restaurant and tells you how much they loved your class. Isn't it amazing how many names are forgotten? They remember how we treated them more than they remember what we taught them. Be a blessing to the children today. An inspiration video from our Executive Director, David Schmus Equip Going to God's word each day reminds us of what is important and how much help we need as teachers to be an educator of excellence. Ps. 143:10 - Teach me to do Your will, for you are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground Empower
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You dear Father for the children You have placed in our care. Help them to be listeners today and to yearn for new knowledge even while they tire of this year. Help them to be open to new ideas and to be curious. Thank You for creating each and everyone of the children who come to our classrooms today. It's a miracle how You made each and every one of them unique. Lord, help us to see them as You see them and to treasure these last few weeks with them. Erase any negative influence we may have had on them and forgive us for our failure to always be good to them. Show us how to finish strong and be a teacher of excellence inYour way with Your power. We love you. Amen. As always, I am prayerfully yours, K Karen C. Seddon CEAI - Christian Educators Assoc. Int. State Director for Florida [email protected] www.ceai.org Around the Word in 180 Days 1:16 PM prayer movement Tuesday - Day 2 - Teacher Appreciation Day Today is officially Teacher Appreciation Day during this Teacher Appreciation Week. Our mission at CEAI is to encourage, equip and empower you according to Biblical principles. Each day this week, we will post a blessing that includes:
Encourage We have heard many great quotes about what an inspirational teacher can be for a child. But one of the ones that encapsulates them all is "Thank A Teacher Today." Today's video made me very grateful to my own teachers and for being a teacher. Even though this video ends up being a plug for an ed-tech product, its message is great. These qualities still apply to this crazy school year. Link to the video Equip Equip yourself with the sword of the Spirit today as you walk the halls of your school. Col. 4:5-6 - Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Empower
Dear Lord, You are the Teacher of teachers. Thank You for calling us to teach. Lord, we know that we have a captive audience each day and that we need to guard the words that proceed out of our mouths. Let the words we speak today be a blessing, a soothing ointment that one student may need. Lord, we realize that we will never know the true impact of everything we say and do to each child that comes under our charge over the years and especially this year, but please help us act like every word and every moment does count for eternity. Thank You Lord for this Teacher Appreciation Day. Thank You for the gift of teaching. Amen. As always, I am prayerfully yours, K Karen C. Seddon CEAI - Christian Educators Assoc. Int. State Director for Florida [email protected] 407.892.5651 www.ceai.org Around the Word in 180 Days 1:16 PM prayer movement Monday - Day 1 Teachers, we just want to bless you. Thank you for your high calling. This week we would like to present you with three little things each day:
Taylor Mali, poet and teacher, wrote a powerful poem, "What Do Teachers Make?" put to video after encouraging 1000 people to become a teacher. Hope you pass it on to other teachers who need a little encouragement. He's made his poem available on his website for you also. Equip Roll this verse around in your mind all day. Read it, say it, meditate on it and act on it. Hebrews 10:24 - And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.... Empower Dear Lord, Please bless the teachers today. Give them the wisdom and strength to be excellent as they close out another crazy school year. Help them Lord to look at their students as fearfully and wonderfully made particularly when that student is not so lovable or who doesn't want to participate. Lord, can you help them to encourage their administrators today no matter what relationship they may have with them? Show them your love and help all teachers to be givers, not just receivers during this Teacher Appreciation Week. Please help our teachers to understanding their high calling. We love you, Lord and thank You for making us teachers! Amen. Have a great Monday! As always, I am prayerfully yours, K Karen C. Seddon
CEAI - Christian Educators Assoc. Int. State Director for Florida [email protected] 407.892.5651 www.ceai.org Around the Word in 180 Days 1:16 PM prayer movement St. Johns County Christian Educators celebrated the 24th annual Honor the Graduate awards. Honor the Grads is a special evening of celebration where seniors, selected by their peers, are honored by parents, family, youth groups and community members because they were chosen as an excellent example of integrity to others. Students in the FCA or other Christian student groups in our local high schools nominate one senior who walked his/her walk, talked his/her talk generally displaying a Christ-like lifestyle throughout high school. Five high schools were represented: Bartram Trail High School Dylan Chiedo Creekside High School Samuel Beasely Ella Diab Allen D. Nease High School Daizy Beatty Joey Zoon (unable to attend) Pedro Menendez High School King Benford Diana Ramos St. Augustine High School Alexa Gregory Sophie Pearson Favorite verses:
Some of the comments shared by the graduates this year include:
After the student testimonies, the families and supporters gather around for a time of prayer from all who feel led. All were then invited for a time of fellowship and snacks.
Congratulations graduates! May the Lord bless you and keep you. Karen Seddon CEAI FL Director Dear Christian educators, It doesn't seem possible that we have prayed Scripture for the last 40 days. What an honor and privilege to share with you. May God bless you and your family as you celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tomorrow. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to the Lord for the remainder of the school year. Day 40 Psalm 143:1 English Standard Version (ESV)My Soul Thirsts for YouA Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! At the conclusion of this Lenten season, who could have ever imagined a Holy Week and Easter celebrations as shut-ins? Many Christians around the world will come outside tomorrow morning at sunrise and lift their hands to the Maker of Heaven and Earth to stand in awe of the ultimate sacrifice ever made. Let us give grateful thanks to Jesus as we gather tomorrow in creative ways. I have a daily podcast, "Around the Word in 180 Days" that is now in special edition mode called, "While We Wait....." where we read the Bible with our brothers and sisters in the public schools. Since this school year has been interrupted by the Coronavirus COVID-19, it is all the more imperative that we are in the Word of God and prayer for strength, wisdom, grace and mercy. While we wait......we will be reading one chapter from the Book of Proverbs each day, praying Scripture, meditating and praying community prayers until the school year resumes. Please consider joining us. Prayerfully yours, Karen Seddon Dear Lord,
What a blessing to pray Your Word these last 40 days. Your Word is so encouraging, so instructional and so convicting. Hear my prayer, O Lord. Please give ear to my pleas for mercy. I yearn to love and love others as You have commanded us to do. In Your faithfulness, answer me in Your righteousness. Will You open the hearts of all educators to pray deeply and walk with You each and every day in school? May our prayers be a sweet incense to You. I love You Lord and thank You for the risen life of Your Only Son, Jesus. I ask in His Beautiful Name. Amen. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Karen and the CIPE Team Dear Christian educators, On this Good Friday, we pause to give thanks to our faithful God Who gave His only Son that we may have eternal life. Think of all the generations that have existed since Christ until now. As the God of generations, He has sustained His church throughout the ages. The good news is that our next generation has its own leaders rising up to bring glory to God. Each day during this season of Lent, I will post one verse and pray it with you. Consider saying the verse in your quiet time and praying it also. You may use the same prayer or try your own. Each day until Easter (except Sundays) there will be a new post that contains: a verse, a small reflection, a prayer using the Scripture and an image. Feel free to share the images because I made them with the Bible Lens app and took all the pictures. What a creative God we serve! Day 39 Psalm 100:5 English Standard Version (ESV) 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Do you ever ponder this high calling of teaching is to touch the next generation? Every educator will make an impact. We can only hope that it is kingdom impact for their souls. Making an impact on the next generation is critical to passing along our heritage. One of the ways we honor the next generation is with a ceremony called, Honor the Grads. Two seniors from a set amount of high schools are honored because they walked their walk with Christ through high school. The best part is that they are chosen by their peers. The students are invited to a ceremony where they give a testimony, tell about their future plans and share a favorite scripture. The students receive a medallion, a certificate and a $100 scholarship. This is one of the the greatest impacts on the next generation we have been a part of in the Central FL area. For more information, check out our Honor the Grads page. Dear Lord,
You are so good, Lord. Your steadfast love endures forever and Your faithfulness is to all the generations. Lord as we anticipate Your coming we yearn for the next generation to be whole-hearted for You. There are so many young people who are so in love with You. I love to hear their testimonies and take great strength in the next generation. Thank You for being a God of the generations. Thank You for allowing us to impact the next generation in our schools. We love You Lord and thank You for this gift in the faithful name of Jesus. Amen. Prayerfully yours, Karen and the CIPE team Dear Christian educators, Do you pray? Is it a pleasure or a checklist item? At an acceptable time, our God will answer in abundance. Never grow weary in prayer. He taught us to pray in the pattern of the Lord's prayer. Start by hallowing His Name, then pray for the many kingdom ministries pointing others to Christ, then ask for your daily bread. Finally pray for forgiveness and give Him thanks. May your prayers be a delight to You and especially out God of abundant steadfast love. Each day during this season of Lent, I will post one verse and pray it with you. Consider saying the verse in your quiet time and praying it also. You may use the same prayer or try your own. Each day until Easter (except Sundays) there will be a new post that contains: a verse, a small reflection, a prayer using the Scripture and an image. Feel free to share the images because I made them with the Bible Lens app and took all the pictures. What a creative God we serve! Day 38 Psalm 69:13 English Standard Version (ESV) 13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. So can you pray in school? Educators do not leave their First Amendment rights at the school house door. In fact, a school covered by praying educators is blessed. Learn the law and then live in the freedom you have been afforded as an American. You cannot pray with the students, but you can pray with your colleagues before or after contract time. You can always pray silently in private and personal prayer anytime. Many educators make it a practice to pray in the seat of every child at various times throughout the year before they come into the classroom. Many have joined us in the 1:16 PM prayer movement praying every school day with hundreds of Christian educators across the nation. Pray, my friends. Pray with delight. And of course, we all know that as long as there are tests in school, there will be prayer! Dear Lord,
I love to pray to You! At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me in Your saving faithfulness. You save sinners, for which I am humbly and deeply grateful. You are always there for me. You are abundant in Your grace and I love You so. Blessed all the children and educators today with Your saving faithfulness. I ask in the incredible name of Jesus. Amen. Prayerfully yours, Kare and the CIPE Team |
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